Episode 56 - Crafting Through Grief: How Kenya McCarthy Turns Her Mom's Belongings Into Healing Gifts

What do you do when grief meets a house full of craft supplies? For Kenya McCarthy, creator of @chronicallykenya and @k.carthydesigns, the answer was to start making things, sharing the process online, and building a strong grief community so people wouldn't feel alone. Kenya's story is layered: she was already navigating a multiple sclerosis diagnosis when her mom Nikki suffered a sudden stroke. Kenya traveled cross-country from California to Virginia to spend the last nine days of her mom's life by her side. When it came time to pack up Nikki's home — a woman who could, as Kenya says, make anything out of anything — Kenya made a decision that would change everything: she would turn her mom's belongings into memorial gifts for the people who loved her.In this episode, Kenya and Lisa discuss:Why crafting works as a grief tool and how Kenya assigns each project with a  "spoon rating" so grievers can find a craft that matches their energyThe story of her mom, Nikki: vibrant, feisty, and the inventor of the phrase "chuck it in the fuck it bucket"How Kenya hears her mom's voice as she problem-solves her way through every projectThe K. Carthy Designs story — the moment Kenya discovered her mom had written Kenya's abandoned fashion dream on the first page of her own goal journalWhy Kenya grieves her mom publicly and honors her legacy by talking about her every dayIf you are grieving, crafting, chronically ill, or trying to find a way to keep the people you've lost a little bit closer, this episode is for you.Connect with Kenya:TikTok & Instagram: @chronicallykenyaDesigns: @k.carthydesignsWeekly series: Crafty Grieving (new episodes every Wednesday)Connect with Lisa & Giving Grief Grace:Website: podcast.lisahartung.comEmail: [email protected]/Facebook: @givinggriefgraceSend us Fan MailThanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you! Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone.Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week! Special thanks to:Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star MusicPodcast Music Good_B_Music